annual report - geraldton senior college · especially those undertaking an atar program. wace...

2017Annual Report

2017Annual Report

Student DataThe 2017 February census return showed a total of 844 students enrolled at the college. This was a significant decrease from the previous year where in February there were 910 students enrolled. By the end of 2017, 777 students were enrolled, a decrease of 133 students over the space of 2 years. This decrease was not expected and has impacted significantly on a number of operational and planning aspects at the college. Projected numbers for 2018 are approximately 825 and these fluctuating numbers continue to present ongoing challenges for the college.

Eighteen of our 2017 students were residents of the Geraldton Residential College. Fifty-seven students were listed as having an identified learning difficulty or diagnosed disability with 24 students being identified as Special Education Needs (SEN) students and received a Disability Resource Allocation. Almost all these students were integrated into mainstream programs at the college which reflected the focus of inclusivity through the SEN program at the college.

The college has the largest senior secondary Aboriginal

population of all schools in WA with the number of Aboriginal students at the college in Years 11 and 12 in 2017 being 122. In the February census there were 203 Aboriginal students in Years 10-12 which reflects 24% of the college population, being 81 (26%) in Year 10, 77 (26%) in Year 11, and 45 (18%) in Year 12. This is an increase in the number of Aboriginal students at the college from 2016.

There are students who take the opportunity to drop out of school as they transition from Year 9 to Year 10, particularly those from John Willcock College (JWC). In 2017, college resources were directed towards working in partnership with JWC and parents/caregivers to capture this small group of students in an effort to reduce the number of these students not attending GSC in Year 10. This will continue to be a focus of the college as we encourage students to be at school. Each year, significant numbers of students choose to transition out of school between Year 10 and 11 and Year 11 and 12. As a Senior College with a significant number of Year 10, 11 and 12

WelcomeIt is my pleasure to introduce the 2017 Geraldton Senior College (GSC) Annual Report to the college and wider community. I commend this report to you as it outlines the highlights, the achievements and areas for further development. The purpose of this report is to present information that aligns to our 2017–2019 Business Plan. The major focus of the report relates to the college vision, priorities and values and should provide an assurance that the key outcomes of the college are being addressed. It is an opportunity to report to our college community and the Department of Education on all aspects that relate to the progress being made by GSC in the achievement of positive outcomes for its students. In doing so it is also important to present a brief insight into important contextual information.

Greg Kelly, Principal

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Geraldton Senior College 2017 Annual Report

students, we continue to develop strategies in an effort to find appropriate pathways for our students as part of the Success for All Students priority of the College Business Plan 2017-2019. Part of this focus is to ensure students are making positive choices in not returning to school as Year 11 or Year 12 students as they transition to training and work options. These students are reported in the census however they are not counted for the purpose of resource allocation. The college has, in the past few years, linked with TAFE, external engagement program deliverers and the Participation Team to track where these students are at the commencement of each year. Whilst there is an ongoing concern that this number continues to remain high, being able to identify those that are engaged and those that are not through further investigation is providing some worthwhile data that allows the college to focus its efforts on students returning to school if they are not engaged in any required program (training or employment). The support being provided by our community partners in Participation and Central Regional TAFE in assisting to gather evidence required for us to target use of college resources is appreciated.

As part of the Business Plan 2017-2019, the college will continue to investigate engagement programs being established at the school. Evidence shows that school developed and resourced engagement programs for students in Years 10-12 are more effective than those available through private providers. We continue to investigate alternative programs for our students in an effort to engage them in learning at school.

Socio-Educational StatusThe College Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) in 2017 was 954 which indicate that the ICSEA is rising gradually from previous years. The current average across Australia is 1000. Information related to the ICSEA is generally available on the My School website: www.myschool.edu.au

Our students represent a diverse range of different nationalities with 6% of our population having English as an Additional Language/Dialect. The majority of our new students in 2017 entered from our feeder public education secondary school, John Willcock College with a significant number of students entering Year 11 from Nagle Catholic College and Geraldton Grammar School. Students enrolling in the first half of the year came from 23 different schools with only one from overseas and one from interstate. Student transiency in 2017 was 23.3% which is a decrease from previous years. This is possibly a reflection of the current economic climate and families remaining in the Geraldton and Midwest region.

StaffingWith 71.0 teaching staff in 2017, the college was well staffed, with the equivalent of 53.1 full time teaching staff being responsible for delivering a diverse range of programs. Fourteen Administration staff consists of a Principal, 3 Deputy Principals and 10 Program Coordinators. The teaching staff is assisted by 28.2 full-time equivalent support staff employed in a variety of roles mainly in the areas of Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Aboriginal education. Two teachers and five support staff are Aboriginal.

All teaching staff met the professional requirements to teach in Western Australian public schools and can be found on the public register of the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia.

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Student Achievement Year 12 —Success for all StudentsWestern Australian Certificate of Education

In 2017, 204 out of 257 Year 12 students were eligible to achieve the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) of a total population of 257 students. Of this number 178 were successful which resulted in 88% of the cohort achieving their WACE. This was an increase of 2% from 2016 which aligns to the target set in the 2017-2019 Business Plan. A significant amount of work is still needed to ensure this achievement is maintained or improved upon for 2019. Students requiring to meet Literacy and Numeracy standards through Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (OLNA) continues to impact on WACE achievement. A number of our Year 12 Aboriginal students continue to struggle to cope with this type of testing. Strategies continue to be put in place to assist students being able to better cope with OLNA. Strategies developed by the college such as the Academic Standing Policy continue to ensure students entering their final year are enrolled in more appropriate courses through the monitoring of the progress of those students on conditional standing. As the college moves towards having students enter the school from Year 7 onwards, pathway development through appropriate subject selection from lower school to senior school will ensure students are undertaking a program at school that will ensure success is achieved.

Participation in an ATAR program was significantly less than in 2016 but on a similar level to other previous years. Again, this is an area where changes are expected when students are monitored in their academic progress from Year 7 as part of the 2017-2019 Business Plan Success For All Student priority area. As has been the case at

GSC, a small number of ATAR students also achieved a VET Certificate II. The median ATAR of 69.85 was disappointing considering the number of students who achieved exceptionally well in their ATAR. The 2017 Dux of the college, Bailey Booth, achieved an ATAR of 99.5. This was an outstanding achievement which was supported by Joe Pilliner with an ATAR of 98.3. Both Bailey and Joe were added to the Gallop Club for achieving an ATAR above 98. A further 5 students achieved an ATAR of 90 and above with a further 7 students achieving an ATAR of 80 and above. These results by students reinforce the quality of teaching staff at Geraldton Senior College.

The ongoing monitoring of student progress and ongoing collaboration with students and parents to ensure students undertake a pathway that will provide the best opportunity for success must continue. It is pleasing to note the number of students who achieve an ATAR that meets their aspirations to enter post school destinations, however, it is essential the school intervenes when success in an ATAR program for some students will not occur. The inclusion of Quality Teaching as part of the 2017-2019 Business Plan and professional development and discussions taking place at the college is reinforcing the importance of what is required in the classroom for student success. Other strategies continue to be developed to ensure students are maintaining focus on their studies, especially those undertaking an ATAR program.

WACE Achievement

Eligible Year 12Students

Percentage achieving WACE

2015 199 99%

2016 221 86%

2017 204 88%

Median Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank

School Like-Schools WA Public Schools

2014 67.7 57.2 75.6

2015 66.5 63.4 76.0

2016 71.7 67.5 78.2

2017 69.8 71.7 78.2

Year 12 Student Pathways

Year 12Students ATAR Only ATAR & Cert II

or HigherVET Cert II or Higher Other Verified Unverified

2016 280 34 (12.1%) 20 (7.1%) 165 (58.9%) 57 (20.4%) 4 (1.4%)

2017 257 24 (9.3%) 13 (5.1%) 185 (72.0%) 35 (13.6%) 0 (0.0%)

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Year 12 Student Pathways

Certificate I Certificate II Certificate III

Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage

2016 8 4.1% 179 92.7% 6 3.1%

2017 4 2.0% 179 88.6% 19 9.4%

88% of all students enrolled in a VET Certificate achieved a full qualification which was again an outstanding success, reflecting the relevance of certificates being offered that are aligned to student interest and the quality of delivery by staff. The increase in the percentage of students completing a Certificate III is significant as we continue to advocate students achieving their potential as we provide them opportunities to access extension programs. The more extensive student monitoring process that was put in place and the development of positive relationships with Registered Training Organisations continues to build on the quality of training programs being offered at the college.

The Attainment Rate at the college has increased from 60% in 2013 to 68% in 2014 to 89% in 2015 to 94% in 2016. Having set an Attainment Rate of 96% as the target in the 2017-2019 Business Plan, the college moved closer to achieving this with an Attainment Rate of 95% in 2017. This continues to be an achievement to be celebrated as this reflects the level of success students are having in their chosen program of study and reflects the college priority of Success for all Students.

The College continues to celebrate the achievements of our Aboriginal students in the Clontarf program, Follow The Dream: Partnership For Success program and the school-based Gigaman Gawala and Warlugurra Walgamanyulu programs. Whilst the number of students achieving their WACE in the school-based programs was not as high in 2017 than in previous years due largely

to the Literacy and Numeracy (OLNA) requirements, the ongoing engagement by students in the various programs continues to provide positive outcomes. In some cases, the positive outcomes are measured by student attendance whilst in other cases, the improved levels of understanding in academic work being completed shows that there is learning taking place. The college continues to monitor the overall effectiveness of the Gigaman Gawala and Warlugurra Walgamanyulu programs to ensure that there are positive outcomes being achieved, knowing that both programs are an important part of offering engagement type programs to our students.

The Clontarf Academy staff continues to build on the strong partnership that exists between the college and the Academy as we work collaboratively to ensure students involved in Clontarf Academy activities are provided the best opportunity to achieve success as students of Geraldton Senior College. There is a strong focus on activities involving them being linked to desired educational outcomes achieved.

The Follow The Dream: Partnership For Success program continues to offer value adding opportunities for students with strong numbers of students being involved. The next phase of this program will be to develop diversity as we prepare for Year 7 students to enter the program in 2019. The opportunity for students to achieve at a level that gives entry into university must remain a focus of the program at Geraldton Senior College.

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Student Achievement Year 11 —Success for all StudentsA total of 36 Year 11 courses were available for students to select from entering senior school at the College in 2017, again demonstrating the diversity of programs students are able to select. The number of courses providing students the opportunity to complete a full certificate as part of their studies continued to be developed as other students continued to access a certificate qualification through an offsite VET program. The percentage of D and E grades being achieved by students continued to be high, with 22.2% being achieved in Semester 2 2017. This was made up of 12.2% of D’s and 10% of E grades. With there being a focus on reducing the number of D and E grades achieved by Year 11 students in 2017, it remains a challenge as the percentage of students gaining D and E grades was higher in 2017 than 2016. The number of D and E grades achieved by students in Semester 2, 2016 was 11.4% and 6.7% respectively. The College will continue to develop strategies in an effort to have fewer students gaining D and E grades in Year 11. The alignment between non-attendance and low grades is significant and this too continues to be a challenge.

Percentage of Grades Allocated at End of Year

A B C D E

2016 10.3 23.8 47.9 11.4 6.7

2017 7.9 23.3 46.6 12.2 10

Academic Standing Year 11

The College continues to advocate the Academic Standing policy for Year 11 students. The policy, which requires students to maintain a C grade average and at least 90% attendance, continues to be promoted actively across the college with moderate success. Whilst this continues to be used as the major measure for students to progress from Year 11 to Year 12, new strategies of engaging even more students in achievement and attendance are being implemented.

The ongoing effectiveness of the Academic Standing Policy continues to reflect a decrease in the number of students on conditional standing by the end of Semester 2 Year 11. Students on conditional standing who remained at the College through to the end of Year 12 were provided the opportunity to complete their WACE. Again, this reflected moderate success by students offered this opportunity. As more students are being required to stay at school and less opportunity for employment exists, this will continue to challenge the college in regards to student success. A number of students are undertaking further training at Central Regional TAFE as they offer a more diverse program of Certificates for students who are having limited success at school.

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Student Achievement Year 10 —Success for all StudentsThe second transition point for public school students in their secondary schooling in Geraldton is unique and creates additional challenges in student adjustment to another learning environment. There is interest in the additional stability that will be provided when students are able to enter Year 7 at Geraldton Senior High School and complete 6 years of their secondary education at the school. The change from one learning environment to another at such a crucial stage of student learning continues to present challenges to the staff at GSC. The most significant challenge in this area relates to the significantly low level of Literacy and Numeracy when students enter Year 10 at GSC. These low levels impact on what occurs in the classroom and evidence shows that students take time to adjust to not only the environment, but also the structure of GSC compared to John Willcock College and the style of teaching that occurs in the classroom.

There continues to be a focus at the college on the achievement of Year 10 students as they prepare to undertake a 2 year Senior School pathway as an ATAR program, a Vocational Education and Training program which could consist of General and/or ATAR courses to add to their Certificate course, or an alternative school-based engagement program. The number of D and E grades allocated to Year 10 students across the whole year continues to be of concern, particularly the changes that occur from Semester 1 to Semester 2. Strategies continue to be put in place to address the issue of a lack of progress in some cases and data interrogation continues to occur, particularly aligning achievement with attendance data.

Percentage of Grades Allocated in Semester I and Semester II

English

A B C D E Total

2017Sem I 14 23 111 80 53 281

2017Sem II 25 46 99 60 40 270

Maths

A B C D E Total

2017Sem I 14 39 89 66 74 282

2017Sem II 13 36 110 50 61 270

Science

A B C D E Total

2017Sem I 21 39 75 80 62 277

2017Sem II 18 21 61 93 77 270

HASS

A B C D E Total

2017Sem I 10 34 95 72 71 282

2017Sem II 10 16 120 89 35 270

Year 10 student participating in the SHINE program have enjoyed success in working together in a range of projects resulting in improved attendance and behaviours.

Again at the end of 2017, approximately 50 students enrolled from the private schools in Geraldton to GSC for 2018.

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Vocational Education and TrainingThe college again continued to lead in the delivery of the largest variety of Vocational and Education and Training (VET) programs of all schools in the Midwest Region. This continued to reinforce the requirements that students achieving their WACE must have either an ATAR or minimum of a Certificate II by the end of Year 12. Being able to continue to offer such a range of Certificate choices ensured that students were engaged in meaningful and relevant study programs. In 2017, a total of 219 qualifications were completed by the Year 12 cohort as they transitioned from Year 10-12.

Future challenges beyond 2017

In response to the Department of Training and Workforce Development beginning to distance itself by TAFE ‘stepping away’ from third party agreements, arrangements with private Registered Training Organisations is being sourced and suitable arrangements will need to be planned to ensure compliance is meet and staff workload is managed.

In preparation for the transition to a Year 7-12 mainstream senior high school, significant planning needs to occur in order that students are afforded substantial career planning as determined by the general capabilities of the Western Australian Curriculum and Assessment Outline which encompass the knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions that will assist students to live and work successfully in the 21st century.

The school continues to advocate career development of students through Learning Areas so that students can make informed subject selection decisions (specifically VET programs and Certificate qualifications) for Senior

School. Where possible, cross-curricular course content should develop transferable, soft and employability skills to enhance student opportunities for course selection. This is outlined in the 2017-2019 Business Plan.

The following tables presented reflect the significant range of Certificate courses students are able to undertake as part of the VET program at the College and the completion of these Certificates.

Year 12 VET Completion

Code Qualification Name Achieved Qualification

52689WA Cert IV Preparation for Nursing Education 8

52700WA Cert II Plumbing 4

ACM20110 Cert II Animal Studies 2

AUR20512 Cert II Automotive Servicing Technology 1

BSB20115 Cert II Business 35

CHC30113 Cert III Early Childhood Education and Care 3

CUA20715 Cert II Visual Arts 36

FSK10113 Cert I Access to Vocational Pathways 2

FSK20113 Cert II Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways 17

HLT51612 Diploma of Nursing (Enrolled- Division 2 nursing) 3

ICT20115 Cert II Information, Digital Media and Technology 17

MEM20413 Cert II Engineering Pathways 8

SFI20111 Cert II Aquaculture 17

SFI20211 Cert II Fishing Operations 10

SIH20111 Cert II Hairdressing 1

SIR30212 Cert III Retail Operations 1

SIS20115 Cert II Sport and Recreation 34

SIT20312 Cert II Kitchen Operations 2

Total Number of Qualifications Achieved 201

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Year 11 VET

Students in Year 11 continue to access the significant range of VET courses available with 36 students successfully completing a Certificate II course. This number continues to be substantial as more students seek to complete a Certificate program in Year 11 and move on to a higher level certificate course in Year 12.

The Skilling through Enterprise Program (STEP) for Year 11 students continues to provide success in this program. The significant shift in this program for 2016 was the lack of opportunities in the workforce and this impacted significantly on the students in the program being successful in gaining an apprenticeship. This program continues to add to the opportunities provided by the College to engage students in meaningful learning and ongoing work will be carried out in seeking apprenticeship opportunities through the local business community.

Year 11 VET Completion


UEE22011 Certificate II Electrotechnology (Career Start) 7

UEE20711 Certificate II Data and Voice Communications 6

CPC20211 Certificate II Construction Pathways 5

MEM20105 Certificate II Engineering 5

AUR20516 Certificate II Automotive Servicing Technology 4

MEM20413 Certificate II Engineering Pathways 4

52700WA Certificate II Plumbing 2

ACM20110 Certificate II Animal Studies 2

SIT20416 Certificate II Kitchen Operations 1


Count and types of VET certificates achieved by the 2017 Year 12 cohort over Years 10 to 12


52773WA Certificate I in Leadership 19

BSB10115 Certificate I in Business 2

SIT20416 Certificate II in Kitchen Operations 2

CPC20211 Certificate II in Construction Pathways 9

ACM20110 Certificate II in Animal Studies 1

SIR30212 Certificate III in Retail Operations 1

CHC30113 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care 3

52689WA Certificate IV in Preparation for Nursing Education 8

CUA20715 Certificate II in Visual Arts 35

FSK20113 Certificate II in Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways 12

AUR20512 Certificate II in Automotive Servicing Technology 1

52700WA Certificate II in Plumbing 5

SIH20111 Certificate II in Hairdressing 1

SFI20211 Certificate II in Fishing Operations 9

MEM20413 Certificate II in Engineering Pathways 8

MEM20105 Certificate II in Engineering 1

FSK10113 Certificate I in Access to Vocational Pathways 2

SIS20115 Certificate II in Sport and Recreation 32

SFI20111 Certificate II in Aquaculture 17

ICT20115 Certificate II in Information, Digital Media and Technology 17

BSB20115 Certificate II in Business 31

UEE22011 Certificate II in Electro-tech 3


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Year 10 VET

VET continues to be offered to a limited number of Year 10 students at GSC due mainly to them having to complete the mandated Western Australian Curriculum and Assessment Outline program. The ongoing focus of the Year 10 VET program is to engage students in learning. The Year 10 students who successfully completed a Certificate undertook a TAFE program as part of the school-based Vocational Improvement Program (VIP) for students who would normally not return to school in Year 10 as they would struggle significantly with a mainstream program. Fourteen students completed a Certificate I in Business and 14 completed a Certificate I in Leadership Development.

As part of the expanding VET program at the College, 58 students completed Workplace Learning as part of their study program. The Workplace Learning program continues to provide an opportunity for students to experience work placement as part of their career education program. This often provides a springboard into entering a Certificate program in Year 11.

VET completion for Year 10-12 students at GSC in 2017

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Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment —2017 Performance OverviewIn 2017 as was the case in 2016, over 90% of Year 10 students entering Geraldton Senior College had not reached the minimum standard for literacy and/or numeracy. This impacted on all teaching and learning that took place in the classroom and adjustments in curriculum delivery continued to be put in place by teachers. In 2016 a focus of implementing specific strategies to support students meeting OLNA requirements were introduced. These were refined in 2017 as teaching and support staff continued to work towards successful completion of OLNA by students. These refined strategies included continuing to raise staff awareness with a whole school approach to Literacy and Numeracy being outlined in the 2017-2019 Business Plan; better preparing students with specific strategies being implemented by staff in all subject areas across the school; students completing practice sessions in the ‘OLNA’ room in preparation for OLNA; purchasing specific resources which allowed for independent learning by students; additional homework classes and extra tuition before and after school for targeted students; providing students, teachers and parents with access to individual diagnostic information to formulate specific targets for learning; developing a communication strategy to ensure all avenues for communicating information to parents and students was available; and building a resource bank on the school Shared drive to aid whole school literacy and numeracy improvement.

New strategies were implemented in 2017 as the school continued to address the impact of low literacy and numeracy skills. These new strategies included: raising awareness of the Literacy and Numeracy General Capabilities in all learning areas; up skilling to explicitly embed Literacy and Numeracy skills into all Year 10

lessons; regular meetings with curriculum leaders to support and receive feedback on whole school initiatives and priorities; develop whole school Literacy and Numeracy support resources to establish consistency across the school resulting in improvement; utilizing the Literacy and Numeracy teaching room for individual and small group tuition; and, purchasing cross-curricular resources to engage students with literacy and numeracy across learning areas that cater for different learning styles and abilities.

Year 10 OLNA

Q R1 R2

Reading 102 186 210

Writing 52 168 184

Numeracy 103 160 182

Key Information:• Stable cohort of 290 students • End of Year 10 - 144 students - 49.7%, demonstrated

OLNA standard in all 3 components • Results similar to the previous year

Year 11 OLNA

Q R1 R2 R3 R4

Reading 71 168 176 190 211

Writing 46 152 160 186 202

Numeracy 75 156 163 180 205

Key Information:• Stable cohort of 258 students• Spike after round one followed by gradual increase• End of Year 11 - 172 students - 66.7%, demonstrated

OLNA standard in all 3 components

2017 Year 11 Progress R1-R4

Year 12 OLNA

Q R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6

Reading 68 127 151 155 158 161 183

Writing 40 119 133 143 150 158 185

Numeracy 64 104 125 138 152 158 178

Key Information:• Stable cohort of 211 students• End of Year 12 - 88% of students achieved their WACE• 22 Year 12 students did not meet requirements for one or

more OLNA components and did not achieve their WACE

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2017 Year 12 Progress R1-R6

Targets around OLNA achievement are incorporated into the 2017-2019 Business Plan which indicates the significance of the challenge the college faces in ensuring students achieve success through developed skills in literacy and numeracy. The focus on reducing the impact on students not achieving their WACE due to them not meeting one or more components of OLNA is embedded across the college with strategies being used in the classroom to support students. The ongoing challenges for the college will remain until the number of students not meeting OLNA requirements can be affected by what we do for students in Years 7-9 based on NAPLAN results.

RetentionThe percentage of Year 10 students remaining at GSC through to the end of Year 12 continues to maintain the level similar to 2016. Excluding the transiency rate of 23.3%for 2017, the College continues to address the challenge of retaining students at school by providing relevant and meaningful programs of study. There continues to be the shift in the community with the general ongoing lack of opportunities for permanent employment however there was a slight increase in the number of apprenticeships being offered in 2017. In 2016 there was a significant drop in the number of Year 10 students that moved into Year 11 the following year. Part of the reason for this was the opportunities presented for students to undertake training programs at Central Regional TAFE. This was again the case in 2017 with the school having to compete for enrolments or retention of students at GSC. The college continues to advocate that a Senior School pathway is a two (2) year program for all Year 11 and 12 students and provides an opportunity for students to achieve their WACE and then seek further opportunities in education, training or employment after they finish school.

Retention

Years 10-12 Year 10-11 Year 11-12

2013 70% 101% 78%

2014 71% 96% 70%

2015 66% 96% 70%

2016 71% 89% 74%

2017 Data not available at time of publishing

The College continues to provide the breadth of both ATAR and VET programs to ensure we retain students from Year 10 through to Year 12. As we move closer to having a half cohort of Year 10-12 students, greater challenges will be presented as to how we will address the issues of breadth and depth of various programs for these students.

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AttendanceStudent attendance continues to be an area of concern due to the ongoing difference between College, Like Schools, and public school attendance rates. The College has continued to develop a number of strategies to address the attendance rates that do not reflect positively when presented with relevant data. The gains made in 2016 by implementing attendance strategies were not evident in 2017 data. The significant change was caused by the inconsistent attendance by Year 10 students generally. Another significant factor was the reduced attendance by Aboriginal students where there was a difference of 11.5% against Like Schools. Based on the 2017-2019 Business Plan attendance targets, a number of specific strategies have been developed to address the poor attendance that is being shown by specific groups of students. There appears to be a trend in GSC attendance data where every 2 years there is a decrease in student attendance. The college is addressing attendance across the whole school with a focus on engagement strategies being implemented in the classroom. The college will continue to strive to achieve the attendance targets as set in the 2017-2019 Business Plan. This is proving to be a significant challenge however it is one the college believes is achievable.

Progressive Attendance Figures

Year School State

2013 81.0 87.4

2014 82.3 86.9

2015 79.2 87.9

2016 81.4 87.7

2017 80.8 87.8.

Year Group Attendance Rates

Y10 Y11 Y12

2013 80% 79% 85%

2014 81% 82% 86%

2015 78% 79% 82%

2016 81% 81% 82%

2017 78% 81% 84%

WA Public Schools 2017 85% 87% 88%

Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Student Attendance Rate Comparisons

Non-Aboriginal Aboriginal Total

Year School Like Schools

WA Public Schools School Like

SchoolsWA Public Schools School Like

SchoolsWA Public Schools

2013 85.6% 85.8% 89.1% 66.5% 68.8% 67.2% 81% 82.2% 87.4%2014 86.9% null% 88.6% 67% null% 66.3% 82.3% null% 86.9%2015 84% 86.8% 89.7% 62% 72.6% 68% 79.2% 85.4% 87.9%2016 86.2% 86.8% 89.5% 64.5% 72.9% 67.4% 81.4% 85.5% 87.7%2017 86.9% 88.0% 89.7% 62.1% 73.6% 66.6% 80.8% 86.6% 87.8%

Changing Numbers

Semester 1 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Lower Secondary 314 333 361 308 309

Upper Secondary 488 494 570 602 536

Total 802 827 931 910 845

Semester 2 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Lower Secondary 312 333 341 304 295

Upper Secondary 439 446 525 541 482

Total 751 779 866 845 777

Whilst the college had a transiency rate of 23.3% for 2017, the proportion of students leaving the school throughout the year has increased markedly in 2017 when compared with previous years. The other significant factor in 2017 that impacted on student numbers was that unlike previous years, there was no increase in the number of students enrolling in the school at the commencement of the following year based on the number of students who remained enrolled at the end of the previous year.

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A decrease of 3% in attendance rates for Year 10 students impacted on the whole school attendance data for 2017 even though there was a 2% increase in Year 12 attendance from the previous year. The strategy of Year 10 students commencing their Year 11 programs in the final three weeks of the school year did have a positive effect on attendance however not to the extent that is was able to change the level of attendance over an extensive timeframe. This strategy will again be used in 2018 as the college continues to work on improved attendance overall.

The College will continue to focus on each of the Year groups through sustained strategies being reinforced through Student Services and the Year Coordinators. The collection of data on compliance by staff is being used to reinforce the strategies put in place for 2018. Communication strategies with parents/caregivers of students who are showing poor attendance habits are being reinforced. The use of AIEO’s and Form Teachers to communicate with parents/caregivers to promote better attendance should see an improvement in attendance for 2018. Family accountability for vacations taken outside the scheduled school breaks which continues to impact on attendance figures continues to be advocated in a more formal manner. As has been previously reported, family holidays impact on student learning and achievement levels and can affect pathways that students are able to pursue whilst at the college.

Attendance Category

RegularAt Risk

Indicated Moderate Severe

2015 44.3% 24.0% 14.9% 16.5%

2016 45.3% 25.1% 13.7% 15.7%

2017 46.1% 19.6% 17.3% 17.0%

Like Schools 2017 57.1% 21.9% 12.7% 8.3%

WA Public Schools 62.0% 20.0% 11.0% 7.0%

WellbeingGeraldton Senior College continues to offer a range of programs aimed at addressing student health and wellbeing issues. Many of these programs, run through the Health and Physical Education team and Student Services, are now an embedded part of the school calendar and continue to grow in their success. Formal and informal development of programs addressing mental health, managing grief, managing stress and anxiety, bullying and building positive relationships and

other programs that are offered through School Drug Education and Road Aware (SDERA) all add to the positive steps being taken by the college to support the wellbeing of students as per the 2017-2019 Business Plan priority. Whole of school activities that support the wellbeing of both staff and students include Harmony Week and NAIDOC Week. These are developing activities in the college as we continue to seek the involvement of others to support the wellbeing of staff and students.

There are many other activities across the whole school that focus on student and staff wellbeing. The annual swimming carnival and athletics carnival are activities where both staff and students can interact in positive activities that foster positive working relationships. Lunchtime quiz events where staff and students come together and interact build on the positive relationships and development of a collaborative culture in the school.

The wellbeing of staff is being addressed through additional support in Student Services. This support provided by Student Services staff in dealing with students who are challenging at times has resulted in ongoing success in the reduction of the number of students being suspended due to inappropriate behaviour. The following table shows the significant decrease in the suspension rate at the college over the past few years as a result of the development of positive relationships between students and staff and holding students accountable for their behaviour.

Suspension Rate

Year Suspension Rate

2015 13%

2016 9.2%

2017 6.4%

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Other Events and Items of SignificancePartnerships

The importance of community partnerships was reflected in the development of the 2017-2019 Business Plan with this being determined as a priority for the college. The partnerships formed continue to be an integral part of our college fibre. The ongoing long established connections with business, industry, and training agencies continues to be a feature of Vocational Education and Training (VET) activities. The number of businesses the college continues to work with in partnership is significant as they are the essential element of our work placement programs. We acknowledge the continued ongoing support we receive from each of them as a vital cog in our forward planning and look forward to continuing to build on the partnership we have formed in supporting the youth of the City of Greater Geraldton.

The ‘Follow the Dream:Partnership for Success’ program continues to target high achieving Aboriginal students and supports them through to the end of Year 12. The number of students involved in the program in 2017 remained positive. With Year 7 students entering the college in 2019, there will be conversations to discuss if there will be a change in the way the program operates at the college from 2019 and beyond.

Participation in ‘Follow The Dream’

Year 10 Year 11 Year 12 Total

2016 7 3 6 16

2017 6 8 1 15

The partnership with the Clontarf Foundation is significant as the academy continues to provide support for young Aboriginal men involved in the program. The activities of the academy continue to provide a variety of camps and excursions that target specific groups of boys with the activities having a particular purpose. The ongoing support for community activities and working with primary school students continue to be important parts of role modelling for the boys. The focus continues to ensure that all boys that are part of the academy strive towards successful completion of their secondary schooling at GSC.

Participation in ‘Clontarf Academy’

Year 10 Year 11 Year 12 Total

2016 29 16 17 62

2017 32 25 13 70

Key Events

The college continues to support a range of activities that students see as being integral to their schooling. Country Week is provided as an opportunity for students to represent their school in the annual sporting event Perth. This continues to be a highlight for a number of students, particularly those with outstanding sporting skills. The college again performed extremely well in 2017 with all students representing their college with great pride.

The college ball again provided a highlight of the year for many students. 200 students and guests attended the 2017 ball that took place at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre. Support was again provided by businesses and other

organisations including the P&C. The level of community support for the college ball continues to be valued and appreciated.

The college continued its support of curricula and extra curricula activities throughout 2017, resulting in a significant number of students participating in these activities at school and in the wider community. Music students again participated in the Geraldton Music Festival. They attended the WA Band Festival in Perth which was preceded by a camp.

Students involved in studying Aquaculture, Biology and Fishing Operations again undertook trips to the Abrolhos Islands as part of their course. These trips were in conjunction with the Registered Training Organisation Batavia Coast Maritime Institute.

The college undertook an international trip to Cambodia. This involved 2 staff and 9 students who experienced a different culture. This provided an outstanding learning experience for all involved as they visited schools where they presented stationery items and resources.

College assemblies continue to be a highlight in bringing the college together and showcasing who we are as a school. The major assemblies for 2017 included the Leaders Induction assembly, ANZAC Day assembly, Founders assembly and Leavers assembly. The formal nature of these assemblies continue to allow the college to promote the traditions of the school and reinforce our values and motto of ‘The Seeker Finds’.

As part of the preparation for the transition of Year 7-9 students to Geraldton Senior High School, a capital works building and refurbishment program took place at the

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college. This involved the allocation of $5million for work to be carried out in the English, Home Economics and Design and Technology Departments, along with work on the change rooms on the lower oval and the Administration area of the college. This work was carried out during terms 1 and 2 and resulted in significant cosmetic and practical changes to these areas of the college. Staff and students are commended for the manner in which they undertook what needed to be done as the refurbishments took place.

The college continues to work on transitioning to a mainstream Year 7-12 secondary school, commencing this process in 2019 when Year 7 students will become a part of the college. By the end of 2017, the name change of the school had been approved by the Minister for Education to Geraldton Senior High School, the Local Intake Area had been announced with Beachlands, Geraldton, Allendale, Bluff Point and Waggrakine Primary Schools being the primary schools located in the LIA for Geraldton Senior High School. The college Transition Committee will continue to drive the changes required for the successful transition.

Endorsed on behalf of the School Board by:

Garry Simmons, School Board Chair

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annual report - geraldton senior college · especially those undertaking an atar program. wace...

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